The present invention relates to a gun-sight dry zeroing assembly and, more particularly, to a gun-sight dry zeroing assembly which is power source independent and which is suitable for dry zeroing of both eye (i.e., "in eye optical axis") gun-sights and laser pointers.
Gun-sights can be broken into eye gun-sights and laser pointers. Eye gun-sights, such as, but not limited to, iron gun-sights, telescopic, day and night, gun-sights and reflex gun-sights are characterized in that the user aligns the gun's barrel with the target by viewing the target through the eye gun-sight. As such, eye gun-sights can be referred to as "in eye optical axis" gun-sights. On the other hand, laser pointers are positioned not in the eye's optical axis.
Except for iron gun-sights, most gun-sights, including telescopic day and night gun-sights, reflex gun-sights and laser pointers are add-on components, and as such need to undergo installation, replacement and/or periodic zeroing.
Gun-sight zeroing approaches can be broken into live gun-sight zeroing and gun-sight dry zeroing. Live gun-sight zeroing involves actual firing and correction of offsets by adjustments made in the position of the gun-sight with respect to the gun's barrel. Live gun-sight zeroing is considered limiting because it requires (i) a firing zone; and (ii) light conditions which match the properties of the gun-sight being zeroed. Thus, day operated gun-sights cannot be zeroed during night time and vice versa.
Various gun-sight dry zeroing assemblies are known.
One such gun-sight dry zeroing assembly includes a spud which tightly fits into the gun's barrel and further includes a laser source (visible or infrared) connected at the far end of the spud. The laser source produces a narrow laser beam which is aligned with the spud. Zeroing is effected by aligning the laser beam with the gun-sight, which in this case can be either an eye gun-sight or a laser pointer. In the former case, the laser beam is pointed at a remote target to form a laser spot thereon and the user aligns the eye gun-sight such that a reticle thereof is zeroed with the laser spot. In the latter case the laser beam of the zeroing assembly forms a first laser spot on the remote target, whereas the laser pointer forms a second spot thereon, whereas the offset between the spots is used for zeroing. The limitations associated with this gun-sight dry zeroing assembly are (i) the requirement for a power source to operate the zeroing laser; (ii) the need for a range, i.e., zeroing has to be performed in the field; and (iii) the need for lighting conditions which will allow viewing the laser spot or spots.
Another zeroing assembly overcomes some of the above limitations however, it is not applicable for zeroing laser pointers. This assembly includes a spud and a collimative lens assembly connected parallel thereto and including a reticle. For zeroing, the user views the reticle through the eye gun-sight and performs the necessary zeroing as determined by the offset of the reticle.
IL Pat. No. 74840 entitled "OPTIC CALIBRATOR FOR LASER AIMER" teaches a zeroing assembly operable with laser pointers. It includes a spud, an objective lens connected thereto and including a reticle. A night vision tube (i.e., image converter) to convert the laser infrared light to visible light and an eye piece are connected to one end of the objective lens. Operating the laser pointer results in focusing of a laser spot on the reticle plane, which spot is viewed via the eye piece on the night vision tube screen to thereby enable zeroing. The limitations of this assembly are that it requires a power source to operate the night vision tube; that night vision tubes are cost-ineffective; and that eye gun-sights cannot be zeroed using this assembly.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a dry zeroing assembly which operates with all gun-sights, either eye gun-sights or laser pointers and which is devoid of the above limitations associated with the prior art gun-sight dry zeroing assemblies.